Northwood News ♦ December 2011

‘Washington Ear’ Needs Volunteers to Read Aloud

By Evelyn M. Jemionek

Established in 1974 by Dr. Margaret Rockwell Pfanstiehl, The Metropolitan Washington Ear is the only local nonprofit radio reading/information service in the metropolitan Washington area serving visually impaired and print handicapped residents.  The listeners, who are of all ages but primarily seniors and from all walks of life, are unable to read print either because of blindness, visual impairment, or physical disability.  The reading service enables the listeners to be well-informed members of their families, communities, and workplaces.

Listeners can choose from more than 100 national and local newspapers and magazines as well as books on tape.  The complete newspaper and magazine articles, which are read by 300 volunteers, provide in-depth information not available on TV or radio.  In addition to current national and international news, The Ear also provides local news, local election guides, daily TV schedules, local movie theatre and audio-described movie schedules, food and shopping ads, community news, etc., which are not available from any other local service for the blind.

The Ear’s programs are broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week, free of charge to over 4,500 listeners.  Listeners may access the programs using any of the following:

• Radio Reading Service, which airs programs over a donated sub-carrier channel of WETA-FM to listeners within a 50-mile radius of WETA’s Arlington, Va., transmitter.  They access the broadcasts in their homes and/or institutional facilities via special radio receivers lent by The Ear.
• Dial-In Service, which allows listeners in D.C., Md., and Va. to access news and other information using touch-tone phones.  This service enables callers to sample and browse through a newspaper in much the same way as sighted people do.
• The Internet at www.washear.org for current and archived radio broadcasts.

Other services include:

• Audio Description (AD), which enhances theater and film productions by providing, during non-dialogue pauses, verbal descriptions of characters, sets, costumes, action, lighting, dancing, etc.  The commentary of specially trained audio describers is transmitted over a closed-circuit FM system to the listeners’ earphones.  AD is available for at least one performance for each production at most major live theaters in the metropolitan Washington area.
• Look-Up.  Volunteers at The Ear look up requested information from a variety of sources, including the Yellow Pages and The Washington Post Classifieds.

A Bit of ‘Ear’ History

With 60 volunteers ready, The Ear debuted on Thursday, 7 November 1974, in the Woodmoor Shopping Center studio with the live reading of The Washington Post to at least 63 listeners.  Within six months, weekday airtime was extended and weekend airtime hours were added.

In October 1979, The Ear moved to Marvin Memorial United Methodist Church at 35 University Boulevard East.  A number of volunteers carried the main control board, with wiring dangling, across University Boulevard to its new home.  Broadcast service was not interrupted.

In 1981, Dr. Pfanstiehl pioneered the development of and training for audio description for live theater.  In 1984, five area theaters offered audio description.  For her persistence and leadership in implementing AD for television, she received an Emmy in 1990.  Now, AD is available at many live theaters and in many movie theaters throughout the U.S. and even in other countries.

On 1 November 1989, the radio reading service became an around-the-clock seven-day operation, enabled by WETA’s move to 24-hour programming.

The Dial-In Service became available in September 1991.  In September 2008, The Ear moved to its present location on Tech Road in Silver Spring.

What You Can Do

It is impossible to know how many additional people are eligible for and could benefit from The Ear’s services.  The Ear seeks to serve as many of these as possible.

Also, The Ear is looking for volunteers.  The minimum commitment is two hours per week.  An audition is required.  It takes approximately 35 hours of total time by many volunteers just to read one entire issue of the Sunday Washington Post for the Dial-In service.

If you are interested in using the services of The Ear or in volunteering, please call 301.681.6636, and Debbie Fitch will help you get started.   ■